The present invention relates to a system for monitoring the positions of a plurality of machines which are to perform work in a common work space.
In automated manufacturing operations, it often occurs that several different machines are assigned to perform successive manufacturing operations within a common work space. While such machines are normally controlled so as not to interfere with one another, the automatic control of such machines is relatively complex and errors which result in the work-performing member of more than one machine being in the work space at the same time can occur.
Moreover, there are manufacturing operations in which people work in conjunction with the machines, in which case there is a significant risk of injury to an individual due to being struck by such a work-performing member within the work space.
While various monitoring systems have been proposed, these are rather complex and do not permit direct observaion of their operating state.